A hypothetical mechanism of action of EMDR: the role of Slow Wave Sleep

EMDR is now considered as an elective treatment for PTSD and its efficacy is being proved in several other psychological conditions. Nevertheless, the EMDR underlying mechanisms of action have not yet been fully clarified. At the moment being, different theories have been proposed, such as the orienting response and the working memory hypothesis, which have been supported by various clinical and neurophysiological researches. This paper discusses a hypothesis which focuses on the similarity between the typical EMDR Eye Movements and delta and beta waves occurring during the Slow Wave Sleep. SWS appears to have a key role in memory consolidation and in the reorganization of distant functional networks, as well as Eye Movements seems to lead to a weakening of traumatic episodic memory and a reconsolidation of new associated information. SWS hypothesis may represent another important step toward the understanding on how EMDR works.